A Didactic–Experiential Workshop with Guided Meditative Visualization
with Susan Kavaler-Adler, PhD, ABPP, DLitt, NCPsyA
Sunday, February 22, 2026 (12:00–4:00 PM EST) Continuing Education:7.5 CE hours for NYS Psychologists, NYS Social Workers,
and the APA (covers most mental health professionals outside of NYS); 4 CE hours for Licensed Psychoanalysts
First love is often a psychologically formative experience whose impact extends far beyond the initial relationship. Whether experienced as mutual or unreciprocated, sustained or lost, first love frequently organizes early patterns of vulnerability, idealization, longing, disappointment, and mourning. Its residues may shape later relational expectations, creative life, and clinical presentations across the lifespan.
This workshop examines first love from a psychoanalytic and object relations perspective, focusing on its developmental significance and its role in the formation of inner-world representations of self and other. Particular attention is given to the psychological work of mourning that accompanies first love — both when it fails and when it succeeds but eventually ends or transforms.
Selected films (Gigi, Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman) are used as illustrative material to explore how first-love experiences are symbolically represented as developmental crises involving emotional risk, ethical conflict, and the movement from domination–submission dynamics toward mutual recognition and relational responsibility.
A central and distinctive component of the workshop is a guided meditative visualization, developed and used by Dr. Kavaler-Adler in her clinical and group work. This structured reflective process is designed to help participants connect with their inner-world representations of first love, facilitating symbolization, insight, and clinical understanding. The visualization is used in a contained, educational manner to support learning rather than as a therapeutic intervention.
Throughout the workshop, didactic material, experiential reflection, and group discussion are integrated to support clinical application.
Clinical boundaries, ethical considerations, and scope-appropriate application will be explicitly addressed throughout.
Watch the short videos related to this workshop: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL69s852DDAbjo1KpW7o3YvwFUJlvPqT9f.
SEMINAR SCHEDULE:
Morning Session:
10:00am – 12:30pm
Lunch
12:30pm – 1:00pm
Afternoon Session:
1:00pm – 4:00pm
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:
Describe first love as a psychologically formative experience within psychoanalytic and object relations frameworks and apply this understanding to clinical assessment of patients presenting with relational idealization, longing, or early attachment injury.
Differentiate between first-love experiences that are integrated, mourned, or foreclosed, and use this differentiation to inform case formulation and treatment planning.
Examine the role of mourning in first love and recognize how unresolved mourning may contribute to repetitive relational patterns, impasses, or affective dysregulation in treatment.
Analyze film-based representations of first love (Gigi, Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman) as symbolic depictions of developmental conflict and translate these symbolic patterns into clinically relevant listening and interpretation.
Understand how guided meditative visualization can be used to access inner-world representations of first love and support patients’ capacity for symbolization, reflection, and affect regulation within ethical clinical boundaries.
Integrate insights about first-love dynamics into clinical listening, formulation, and therapeutic pacing to enhance relational safety, deepen treatment engagement, and support patients’ mourning and relational growth.
Format
Didactic presentation, guided meditative visualization, experiential reflection, and group discussion.
Intended Audience:
Psychologists, psychoanalysts, psychiatrists, social workers, mental health counselors, and other licensed or license-eligible mental health clinicians interested in the psychoanalytic treatment of relational and developmental themes.
Suggested Readings:
Kavaler-Adler, S. (1996). The Creative Mystique: From Red Shoes Frenzy to Love and Creativity. Chapter on Suzanne Farrell.
Boisvert S, Poulin F, Dion J. (2023). Romantic relationships from adolescence to established adulthood. Emerg Adulthood, 11(4), 947-958. doi: 10.1177/21676968231174083.
Loeb, E. L., Kansky, J., Narr, R. K., Fowler, C., & Allen, J. P. (2020). Romantic relationship churn in early adolescence predicts hostility, abuse, and withdrawal in relationships into early adulthood. Journal of Early Adolescence, 40(8), 1195–1225. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431619899477
Mirsu-Paun, A., & Oliver, J. A. (2017). How much does love really hurt? A meta-analysis of the association between romantic relationship quality, breakups and mental health outcomes in adolescents and young adults. Journal of Relationships Research, 8, e5. https://doi.org/10.1017/jrr.2017.6
INSTRUCTOR’S BIO:
Susan Kavaler-Adler, Ph.D., ABPP, D.Litt., NCPsyA is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst, who has been in practice in Manhattan for 45 years. She is a Fellow of the American Board and Academy of Psychoanalysis, and is the Founder and Executive Director of the Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. She is a Training Analyst, Senior Supervisor and active faculty member at the Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, a NYS Board of Regents chartered psychoanalytic training institute.
Dr. Kavaler-Adler has an honorary doctorate in literature, and she is a prolific author, with published six books and over 70 articles and book chapters in the field of object relations psychoanalytic theory. Six of her seven published books are related to clinical Object Relations theories. They are: Developmental Mourning, Erotic Transference, and Object Relations Psychoanalysis (IPBooks, 2023); The Klein-Winnicott Dialectic: Transformative New Metapsychology and Interactive Clinical Theory (Karnac, 2014); The Anatomy of Regret: From Death Instinct to Reparation and Symbolization in Vivid Case Studies (Karnac, 2013); Mourning, Spirituality and Psychic Change: A New Object Relations View of Psychoanalysis (Routledge, 2003; Gradiva® Award from NAAP, 2004); The Creative Mystique: From Red Shoes Frenzy to Love and Creativity (Routledge, 1996; ORI Academic Press 2014; Gradiva® Award nomination); The Compulsion to Create: Women Writers and Their Demon Lovers (Routledge, 1993; ORI Academic Press, 2013). Dr. Kavaler-Adler received 16 awards for her psychoanalytic writing. She is also on the editorial board of the International Journal of Controversial Conversations (IJCC). In addition, Dr. Kavaler-Adler conducts ongoing groups in her practice, such as a monthly writing group, a monthly online experiential supervision group, and a monthly “Mourning, Therapy, and Support Group” with guided visualization. More information can be found at https://kavaleradler.com/.
CONTINUING EDUCATION:
Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis
2026 ORIPP The Power of First Love: The Object Relations View – Susan Kavaler-Adler
February 22, 2026
Online
Joint Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Amedco LLC and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco LLC is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Professions in scope for this activity are listed below.
Psychologists
This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and content. Maximum of 7.50 hours.
The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Psychologists/Counselors: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA (LEP ONLY), MD, ME, MN, MO, NC, ND, NH, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WY MI: Accepts courses from APA for Psychologists. No general CE requirement for Counselors. OK: Accepts APA credit for live, in-person activities but not for ethics and/or online courses. The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for MFTs: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, MD, ME, MO, NE, NC, NH, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK*, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WDC, WI, WY AL MFTs: Credits authorized by NBCC or any other state licensing agency will be accepted. MA MFTs: Participants can self-submit courses not approved by the MAMFT board for review. MI MFTs: There are no CE requirements for MFTs in MI. The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Addictions Professionals: AK, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NY (held outside NY ONLY), OK*, OR, SC, UT, WA, WI, WY The following state boards accept courses from APA providers for Social Workers: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, ME, MN, MO, NE, NH, NM, OR, PA, VT, WI, WY
New York Social Workers
Amedco SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0115. 7.50 credit hours.
New York Psychologists
Amedco is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0031. 7.50 hours.
National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis (NAAP) is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an Approved Provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychoanalysts. #P‑0019. 4 hours.
To receive CE certificates for the actual hours attended – please request them at the time of registration or any time prior to beginning of the conference. CE certificate fee: $25 (in addition to the registration fees). No fees charged for PD (Professional Development) certificates from ORI.
REGISTRATION, TUITION, & FEES:
Early Bird registration (before January 22nd, 2026):
$60 regular/ $40 graduate students & analytic candidates/ $15 undergraduate students
Regular registration (from January 22nd, 2026 – to February 21st, 2026 – before 6pm EST/NYC time):
$75 regular/ $55 graduate students & candidates/ $20 undergraduate students
Registration ‘at the door’ (after 6pm EDT/NYC time on February 21st, 2026):
$85 regular/ $65 graduate students & candidates/ $25 undergraduate students
Please Note: IF CEs ARE REQUESTED — please use the “regular” registration (not a “student”) option. An additional fee of $25 will be added for CE certificate processing.
SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIPS are available for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as for retired or disabled practitioners, or need-based.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Full refund will be issued if cancelled before the beginning of the event.
No refund will be issued if cancelled after the beginning of the event, but full paid tuition will be applied to any further ORI events.
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This course is co-sponsored by Amedco and Object Relations Institute for Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis. Amedco is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amedco maintains responsibility for this program and content. Maximum of 
